Questions/thoughts about Techmarines

[Kuhlbert]

So - has there every been a writeup on Techmarines like Chaplains/Librarians got in IA?

I know the basics from the codex(es) - but I was wondering if there is any more canonical (or semi-canonical) fluff about them. But other than a _little_ more detail in the Iron Hands IA writeup (and that really wasn't techmarine-centric), there doesn't seem to be much info other than the codexes.

Things like - how long is their training on Mars? How many are sent at a time? Home do they get there (does the chapter send them on Chapter ships, or does the Mechanicus pick them up)? How are they chosen? Do any marines "wash out"? And if so, what happens (Death? Servitor?). Do techmarines train separately by chapter - or once they're on Mars, are they all lumped into one training cadre?

I don't think any of the above has been answered with any detail - but I'm playing with the idea of writing up some fluff for a chapter where the techmarines are a bit more prevalent than most, and I didn't want to step on any established history. And I'd be interested in people's opinions.

For example, it seems to me that a chapter would only send a couple candidates if any per training "cycle" - would they send their own ship? I had the idea of a Mechanicus "Red Ship(s)" (I'm not seriously calling it that - but it might be a slang term) - a ship(s) much like the Black Ships traveling from chapter to chapter, picking up candidates and dropping off Techmarines back at their home chapter. That way Chapters don't have to waste an escort craft (or god forbid, a Strike Cruiser) as a taxi to/from Mars.

That's just one idea...

Thoughts? About any of the above questions. ideas - or other things techmarine related? Any canonical references?

[Nabterayl]

So - has there every been a writeup on Techmarines like Chaplains/Librarians got in IA?

I know the basics from the codex(es) - but I was wondering if there is any more canonical (or semi-canonical) fluff about them. But other than a _little_ more detail in the Iron Hands IA writeup (and that really wasn't techmarine-centric), there doesn't seem to be much info other than the codexes.

Things like - how long is their training on Mars? How many are sent at a time? Home do they get there (does the chapter send them on Chapter ships, or does the Mechanicus pick them up)? How are they chosen? Do any marines "wash out"? And if so, what happens (Death? Servitor?). Do techmarines train separately by chapter - or once they're on Mars, are they all lumped into one training cadre?

I don't think any of the above has been answered with any detail - but I'm playing with the idea of writing up some fluff for a chapter where the techmarines are a bit more prevalent than most, and I didn't want to step on any established history. And I'd be interested in people's opinions.

For example, it seems to me that a chapter would only send a couple candidates if any per training "cycle" - would they send their own ship? I had the idea of a Mechanicus "Red Ship(s)" (I'm not seriously calling it that - but it might be a slang term) - a ship(s) much like the Black Ships traveling from chapter to chapter, picking up candidates and dropping off Techmarines back at their home chapter. That way Chapters don't have to waste an escort craft (or god forbid, a Strike Cruiser) as a taxi to/from Mars.

That's just one idea...

Thoughts? About any of the above questions. ideas - or other things techmarine related? Any canonical references?
Super interesting topic! I have no canonical references to mention except for the Blood Angels codex, which references promising candidates being chosen by the chapter's existing techmarines.

As for travel, it occurs to me that you're leaving out a third option - commercial transit. There's no reason a chapter couldn't charter a ship to fly to Mars, or why candidates couldn't hitch a ride on a ship that was already going to Mars (that's not as strange as it seems; space marines that assist the Inquisition don't always travel via warship). I'm sure not all chapters would do this, but some - perhaps many - might. I imagine there's plenty of civilian traffic in Ultramar, for instance, that would be happy (or "happy") to transport techmarine candidates for a reasonable fee.

[Lord Anubis]

I'm pretty sure there was a Techmarine piece when White Dwarf was doing all the "Adeptus Astartes" articles five or six years ago (all later bound into the books of the same name). There was a page or two of material, but I don't remember there being anything really groundbreaking or surprising in it.

I remember the picture. It was the one with the techmarine holding the axe with the pinky-thin shaft...

[krispy]

there was some reference to techmarines in the Soul Drinker series - they ended up with like one techmarine and you got some insight into how they got chosen (i think) but it didnt really explain that much.
/k

[BlackKnight15624]

There was an article in Index: Astartes IV, though it didn't provide any specifics on how Techmarines are transported to mars or how long their training takes specifically. I think it may just vary from chapter to chapter.

From IA:IV:
"The young Space Marines train for many years on Mars, swearing powerful oaths and spending their every waking hour in deepening their understanding of the Omnissiah."

Pretty much all it said on length of training. No mention on how they get there.

[Old_Paladin]

You bring up a great point; why is so little known about this group.

The most information I know is actually about IronPriests; the Space wolf version. Who don't go to mars, and have many unique types of technology; but rather learn only from the previous generations of IronPriests.


That and the Iron Hands much closer link to the Mechanicus, including training into the actual machine cult as a religion, instead of the usual prayers just used to make machine spirts happy.